WALES rising star Robert Earnshaw flies to Finland today knowing he has started more games for his country this season than for his club, Cardiff City.

The striker has started all of City's first six league games on the bench, yet the 21-year-old was in Wales's starting line-up for the friendly in Croatia last month.

Earnshaw, who made a match-winning debut against eventual World Cup finalists Germany last May, has, in fact, started Wales's last two games.

"It's funny that I'm starting for my country and not my club," said Earn-shaw, who is hoping to win his third cap against Finland in Helsinki on Saturday.

"I don't know if Mark Hughes (Wales manager) will carry on picking me if I'm not playing for City," he said.

"But he knows what I can do and he picked me to play in Croatia, so it's nice to see he's got faith in me. I hope he carries on thinking of me.

"If he does give me another chance against Finland, I've just got to go out and do my best. Even though I'm not playing regularly, I feel great." At Ninian Park, Earnshaw is currently playing second fiddle to Andy Campbell, a player City manager Lennie Lawrence signed earlier this year.

"I'm only getting 15 or 20 minutes a game with Cardiff and that's not enough. I need 90 minutes," he said.

Earnshaw shot to international fame at the end of last season when he sank the Germans with a brilliant second-half goal inside the Millennium Stadium and his double-somersault celebration made the front page of the Korean Herald.

It was a dream debut for the Zambian-born player who was filling the void left by injured Newcastle striker Craig Bellamy.

Four months on and Earnshaw insists he is not dining on that performance against Rudi Voller's men.

"That goal might be on every-one's mind but it's not on my mind. I always look to the next goal. I don't want to be remembered just for the Germany goal," he said.

"I know people are saying that I've not been the same since that game. That's their view, but the goal hasn't changed me as a player or as a person." With Bellamy almost certainly expected to start Saturday's game on the bench, Hughes might pair Earnshaw alongside John Hartson in attack just as he did in the 1-0 win over Germany.

"I haven't played a full game for Cardiff since pre-season, but Lennie has said I will be involved very shortly," continued Earnshaw. "I went into the pre-season matches not expecting anything - but I didn't expect to be a substitute in every game."

Lawrence dropped Earnshaw for the Second Division curtain-raiser at Oldham after he failed to score in any of City's six pre-season run-outs.

"All I can do is keep looking sharp and just do my best. But I need games," he added.

"It's hard coming on as a substitute in the second half because you've got to do something straight away, but you need time to get going.

"I feel good and I think I've done well when I've come on. It's up to me to show the manager what I can do."

Earnshaw has netted only one goal this season, in the 2-1 win at Oldham nearly a month ago.